Instructions to Put your pets down after you die

Spanish Eyes · 23-01-2014 08:24PM #1

Ok I know it's a controversial subject.

But my Aunt is ill. She may be ok, but she is very worried about her two cats that are like her children.

She has made a note that if she dies, her cats are to be euthanised.

Would a vet do that to a healthy cat or cats?

BTW I totally understand my Aunts wishes. No one in our family other than her likes or can understand cats, so the cats would have to go somewhere!

I am aunts executor, and want to observe her wishes.

Any thoughts on whether a vet would put the cats down after she dies even if they are ok?

Sorry it's not a nice subject.

Bullseye1 · 23-01-2014 08:28PM

I would suggest to her that if you can find a suitable home that they would not need to be euthanised. If unsuccessful you would then carry out her wishes.

Vets will put the cats down if instructed.

Spanish Eyes · 23-01-2014 08:31PM

Bullseye1 wrote: »

I would suggest to her that if you can find a suitable home that they would not need to be euthanised. If unsuccessful you would then carry out her wishes.

Vets will put the cats down if instructed.

Thanks for reply.

I don't know anyone who would take the cats right now.

So my question is.....

Would a vet put them down just because she wants it done? Or do they have to observe ethical rules?

I will contact a vet at some point, but that seems a bit previous, if you get me!

Just wanted a view.

Thanks so much.

strandroad · 23-01-2014 10:16PM

There was a similar thread here before and the outcome was that you never know if they would be indeed put down or if the vet would pass them on to a rescue - vets meet with numerous situations when they are asked to put down healthy animals, often for very flimsy reasons, and some have avenues to redirect them to a new life instead. Once left to be put down by the previous owner healthy pets are basically seen as abandoned.

Why don't you contact a cat rescue to rehome your cats under their supervision?

spurious · 23-01-2014 10:19PM

I got my lovely Jack when one of his owners died and the other couldn't manage him. He had three happy years with us. I'm glad he wasn't put down.
If you could convince your Aunt at all, I'd try get them a new home - perhaps even together.

Toulouse · 24-01-2014 08:25AM

It's not unheard of for people to request this. I wouldn't blame her for being worried where her cats will end up when she's gone, rehoming adult cats (together or even separately) is not an easy thing. Just a pity that nobody in the family is in a position to look after them if and when she goes.

But to answer your question, yes, a vet will euthanaise a healthy animal on request. Sadly it happens everyday in this country. Often if the vet has a rescue contact and the owner is agreeable then they will try to buy the animal some time but ultimately the owner/guardian gets what the owner/guardian wants.

strandroad · 24-01-2014 09:38AM

Toulouse wrote: »

It's not unheard of for people to request this. I wouldn't blame her for being worried where her cats will end up when she's gone, rehoming adult cats (together or even separately) is not an easy thing.

It may be easier than it sounds, my friend adopted a cat and a dog whose owner died through a rescue last year and she was not the only candidate.
It feels cruel to put them down without even trying. Just google "cat rescue" in your locality.

aonb · 24-01-2014 09:42AM

How very sad - this lady who is ill, is worried that her beloved cats would not be cared for after her death, and having them PTS is a solution. Bad enough to be elderly and ill, without having to be frightened for her pets welfare. I can totally see where she is coming from - better to have them PTS than not safe (NO reflection on you OP) I hope she recovers and can put her worries behind her for the time being.

borderlinemeath · 24-01-2014 10:04AM

Some people will set aside funds to provide for their pets in the event of their death rather than have them pts. These type of people are in similar positions, no family member is able to provide the necessary care for the pets and the funds will allow for a certain time for their care prior to rehoming, giving them a far better chance. I know one such case where dogs that have come through rescues have been 'looked after' in their owners will, rather than go directly back to the rescues they came from they will go to a trusted minder while suitable homes are sourced for the dogs, purely because they were dogs that didn't fare well in kennels and would regress if they had to go back to a rescue/kennels atmosphere. Would this be something your Aunt would be in a position to do?

Toulouse · 24-01-2014 10:12AM

mhge wrote: »

It may be easier than it sounds, my friend adopted a cat and a dog whose owner died through a rescue last year and she was not the only candidate.
It feels cruel to put them down without even trying. Just google "cat rescue" in your locality.

Well done to your friend, that was a lovely thing to do but unfortunately she is the exception rather than the rule. Candidates are not the issue here. Suitable candidates however are and for that matter suitable rescues also.

If the OPs aunt was to look into the rescue option then I would encourage her to look for a rescue that has a good reputation, that uses foster homes, that carries out homechecks, that rehomes all animals neutered, vaccinated and microchipped if they are not already done. I would also be looking for one which homechecks and provides full-back up in regards to training, rehomes using a contract and takes back every cat it rehomes if the new owners circumstances change.

Jazbee · 24-01-2014 04:40PM

My granny had instructed us to put her dog to sleep after she died. She was a rescue who's previous owners had also died. We contacted the rescue she came from and they said that would be the best option. We couldn't take her as she hated cats.
But while my granny was sick a friend of hers looked after the dog and after she died she couldn't part with her as she reminded her of my granny. The dog got sick a year after my granny died and had to be pts then but at least she got another year of life.

Does she have any kindly friends who might take them?

househero · 24-01-2014 04:55PM

Killing your pets because you die, it sounds a little Egyptian Pahero doesnt it?

Will nobody take them if you advertise you want them to go to a good home?

cocker5 · 24-01-2014 04:56PM

I suppose it kinda depends...

If I were dying my sister would take my cocker BUT if i didnt have her Im not too sure what I would do..

On the one hand he deserves to live and have a good life... without me

On the other hand how could I trust people (strangers) to look after him properly and treat him as I have done?

I would turn im my grave if he ended up with people who dumped him ouside all day everyday, he would be lost and confused after loosing the only home and family he has ever know... and then to be treated poorly... I'd come back to haunt them.

So unless I had a guarentee he would be with someone I knew and trusted i would probably have him PTS at least Id know he'd be safe IFKWI

To be honest Id nearly get him freeze dried and popped in the coffin with me

together forever

Catch 22 if you ask me

strandroad · 24-01-2014 05:16PM

It's just treating pets like objects... To kill them easily like that. I treat mine like family members - not humans, but persons - and I simply cannot understand how one can simply order their healthy pet to be killed. Their life is not for me to take.
There are trustworthy people out there and it's not a huge effort to find them.

cocker5 · 24-01-2014 05:28PM

mhge wrote: »

It's just treating pets like objects... To kill them easily like that. I treat mine like family members - not humans, but persons - and I simply cannot understand how one can simply order their healthy pet to be killed. Their life is not for me to take.
There are trustworthy people out there and it's not a huge effort to find them.

This may be somewhat true.... but i think your totaly wrong when you say its not a huge effort to find them..

All you have to do is look at all the pounds / rescue centre on thier knees, stuufed to the rafters with dogs .... this country is full of animal neglect and poor dog owners would rather he go with me that be subjected to what many irish people seem to be the norm... dog = nice back garden accessory - eh no thanks...

strandroad · 24-01-2014 05:38PM

That's true about the institutions, but I'm aware of several sudden rehoming cases among the people I know (mostly due to emigration) and every single time a good option was found either through a rescue or within the person's broader social circle, friends recommending their friends, using Facebook to spread the word etc.
It is an effort, but it is not a huge effort. But you have to want to try at all, and the visit to the vets only takes an hour and a few quid. Sadly, it may be worse for cats than dogs, as some people see them as weird, incomprehensible and basically disposable.

maggiepip · 24-01-2014 05:49PM

mhge wrote: »

It's just treating pets like objects... To kill them easily like that. I treat mine like family members - not humans, but persons - and I simply cannot understand how one can simply order their healthy pet to be killed. Their life is not for me to take.
There are trustworthy people out there and it's not a huge effort to find them.

It is not treating a pet like an object to love them enough to only want what is the best for them after you die. In fact it is the opposite. I would never ever hand my dogs or cats to a rescue centre no matter how good a name the place has, and it goes without saying they most certainly would not be put into the pound.

There is never a guarantee a stranger will look after a dog or a cat properly and to think any of my pets could end up separated, in a home where they are locked in the back yard all day and night, locked in a crate all day and night, alone, or even worse, is not a gamble I would ever take with my beloved family members which are my pets. I owe them more than that.

There is actually only one person I would entrust my dogs and cats to if myself and my OH were to die, so if that person could not have them I would have my pets put to sleep. And I would do that because I love them so much - not because I am treating them as objects.

strandroad · 24-01-2014 05:55PM

maggiepip wrote: »

It is not treating a pet like an object to love them enough to only want what is the best for them after you die.

How it's the best thing for them to die rather than to get good new owners?
I love my pets too and therefore I would turn every stone to make sure that they get great new owners. Killing them instead is just selfish. No one would even think of doing it to a dependent family member and people who take their children with them when they commit suicide are universally condemned - they are driven by the same thought.

Edit: I'll finish here with the debate on my side but I do hope that the OP will consider options other than killing these pets.

maggiepip · 24-01-2014 06:06PM

mhge wrote: »

How it's the best thing for them to die rather than to get good new owners?
I love my pets too and therefore I would turn every stone to make sure that they get great new owners. Killing them instead is just selfish. No one would even think of doing it to a dependent family member and people who take their children with them when they commit suicide are universally condemned - they are driven by the same thought.

If thats your opinion then thats your opinion. I dont want to get into a fruitless argument with you. You are very wrong though if you think that having a beloved pet PTS after you die is an easy or lazy decision for people who truly love their pets. Again my pets would never go to a stranger. I would not gamble with that. And again it is because I love them.

strandroad · 24-01-2014 06:13PM

maggiepip wrote: »

If thats your opinion then thats your opinion. I dont want to get into a fruitless argument with you. You are very wrong though if you think that having a beloved pet PTS after you die is an easy or lazy decision for people who truly love their pets. Again my pets would never go to a stranger. I would not gamble with that. And again it is because I love them.

I suppose it just depends on how you see them, as it's not something you would do to a person I guess.

Baybay · 24-01-2014 06:15PM

My mother was ill a number of years ago & we didn't know if she would make it through the surgery & if the cancer would be gone even if she did.
A comfort for her whilst in preparation for surgery was my promise that her beloved cat would be buried with her when the time arose.

She's still alive at 82 but unfortunately the cat passed away last summer.

Almost daily my mother says she is relieved that she outlived the cat as the worry of what would happen to it after her death, should I for some reason not have upheld her wishes, had been playing on her mind all the years since her illness.

I don't think people make those kinds of decisions lightly.
Having rescued the cat my own family has now, I'm not sure I could send him back, however well intentioned everyone would be.

maggiepip · 24-01-2014 06:21PM

mhge wrote: »

I suppose it just depends on how you see them, as it's not something you would do to a person I guess.

I find that offensive - I love my dogs and cats like they are my kids. The dogs come everywhere with us, they are never (and I actually mean never) alone apart from the odd hour here and there. They sleep in our bedroom on their very own human bed, they are walked daily in forests and fields, they have the best of food - the best of everything and they are loved to bits. So please dont post sneaky innuendos.

strandroad · 24-01-2014 06:33PM

maggiepip wrote: »

I find that offensive - I love my dogs and cats like they are my kids. The dogs come everywhere with us, they are never (and I actually mean never) alone apart from the odd hour here and there. They sleep in our bedroom on their very own human bed, they are walked daily in forests and fields, they have the best of food - the best of everything and they are loved to bits. So please dont post sneaky innuendos.

Would you do it to your kids then?

maggiepip · 24-01-2014 06:45PM

mhge wrote: »

Would you do it to your kids then?

The fact of the matter is that a good percentage of the dog population are in homes that I would not consider anywhere near good. Near me there is a poor collie who spends day in day out outside alone and no one looks up nor down at him. Not too far from me is a housing estate where dogs are either locked in back yards all the time or out roaming. I could go on and on. Im sure all these people were going to be great dog owners until they got bored of the dog. Thats all I am saying now on the subject. I wont gamble with my dogs or cats lives by handing them over to a stranger.

DBB · 24-01-2014 06:50PM

Like a lot of things, this is an issue that people will have very personal, and very strong opinions on, and it is not anyone else's place to pass judgement on the decisions people make as long as they can justify it.
Actually, let me re-phrase that. You can pass judgement all you like. But please don't use this forum to do so.
Do not reply to this post on-thread.
Thanks,
DBB

boomerang · 24-01-2014 07:19PM

Yet once upon a time maggiepip, someone passed them on to you - a stranger. And look how it turned out for them.

When you work in rescue and see how well dogs and cats settle into new homes and how happy they are for the remainder of their lives, I think it gives you another perspective.

gthomas1 · 24-01-2014 07:27PM

It is not a nice subject, but it is also a very challenging subject, as well. It is a touchy subject because of the fact that she requires it by will, but I don't know if that still makes the entire thing legal. Requesting her animals to be put down after she dies may not even be something that the local law will allow. You could try calling vets to see what they have to say. I would hope that it would be challenging to find a vet who would end the life of a healthy animal, but at the same time many would most likely be willing to work with you and understand your situation.

fatmammycat · 24-01-2014 09:48PM

maggiepip wrote: »

It is not treating a pet like an object to love them enough to only want what is the best for them after you die. In fact it is the opposite. I would never ever hand my dogs or cats to a rescue centre no matter how good a name the place has, and it goes without saying they most certainly would not be put into the pound.

There is never a guarantee a stranger will look after a dog or a cat properly and to think any of my pets could end up separated, in a home where they are locked in the back yard all day and night, locked in a crate all day and night, alone, or even worse, is not a gamble I would ever take with my beloved family members which are my pets. I owe them more than that.

There is actually only one person I would entrust my dogs and cats to if myself and my OH were to die, so if that person could not have them I would have my pets put to sleep. And I would do that because I love them so much - not because I am treating them as objects.

You may love them Maggie, but they are sentient creatures and their drive at all times to live, to survive. Even terribly sick or injured animals fight with all their might to stay alive. To rob them of their life out of fear is cruel and short sighted in my view. I meet rescue dogs every day of my life out living the high life with owners who love and care for them, I'd hate to think of them being killed because they were never given a second chance to thrive with different people.

fatmammycat · 24-01-2014 09:58PM

cocker5 wrote: »

This may be somewhat true.... but i think your totaly wrong when you say its not a huge effort to find them..

All you have to do is look at all the pounds / rescue centre on thier knees, stuufed to the rafters with dogs .... this country is full of animal neglect and poor dog owners would rather he go with me that be subjected to what many irish people seem to be the norm... dog = nice back garden accessory - eh no thanks...

I bet you anything if you gave the dog a choice between death and a garden he would chose the garden every single time.
The last of my rescue cats is 13 now, my old male died last year at 22. When I got him he was on his last legs, and that was almost 20 years ago, the vet wanted to PTS, claiming he was not going to make the night anyway. I looked at this flu ridden mess of a cat, with a hole in his face the size of an old pound coin, put my hand on his head and he tried so hard to press against my hand that I KNEW if I let him, helped him, he'd fight with everything he had to stay alive. And he did, for 20 love filled years.
Even the 13 year old, whom we got at 4/5 weeks, infested wih fleas, two useless eyes from cat flu, fought tooth and nail to survive, and did so thanks to the compassion of a young vet fresh out of college- though he did lose one of his eyes in the process.
My long winded point is, animal cannot speak, they cannot tell us their wishes. But they hare hardwired to survive, to live, to breathe another day. To rob them of this out of fear for a possibly difficult future (and hey, a possibly BRILLIANT future filled with love and passports and slices of cooked ham) is just awful thinking.

Gael23 · 24-01-2014 10:18PM

While I do understand this lady's predicament, I think it's a ludicrous thing to consider if the cats are perfectly healthy. Is it possible that she could rehome them now in a place that she is happy that they are going to be well cared for when she does die?
If they were old and have health problems then it's a different. I have a 14 year old dog with an ever expanding list of health issues so there is not a hope of him ever being rehomed from us if anything were to happen.

anniehoo · 24-01-2014 10:31PM

Baybay wrote: »

I don't think people make those kinds of decisions lightly.

Absolutely and sometimes this decision can be made out of pure fear...and pure blinded love too.It's a really really interesting debate.

I know an older woman in work who has now retired and has continually said she wants her cats pts after she dies. She lives by herself and her cats are her world, despite having more animal loving friends and family than you could ever wish for. It is her genuine fear and I can't belittle it but it will never happen and she knows that.

She's lucky though and this why it is a "can of worms" scenario.

fatmammycat wrote: »

You may love them Maggie, but they are sentient creatures and their drive at all times to live, to survive. Even terribly sick or injured animals fight with all their might to stay alive. To rob them of their life out of fear is cruel and short sighted in my view. I meet rescue dogs every day of my life out living the high life with owners who love and care for them, I'd hate to think of them being killed because they were never given a second chance to thrive with different people.

I agree but there is no black and white answer as far as I'm concerned.Every situation is different. We as humans make this decision all the time on behalf of animals/pets. We decide when to end their life if and when we feel "it's time" and not always when it's a long fought illness. Horse with a broken leg?

If i was 89 years old and my dog was 18 years old, both of us not doing too good medically. Would I want my beloved pet to struggle on, without me and everything he's used to, with no animal loving friends or family to understand what my dog needs for the rest of his life and the possibility he might die alone in kennels?

I genuinely don't know to be quite honest but I'm leaning towards..... absolutely no way!!

I'm 34 and my cat is 2. If I was diagnosed as terminally ill tomorrow *touching wood* would I want my cat to be put to sleep? Definitely not. Is it because he is young and healthy?Yes. I also have a lot of people to rely on to help me rehome him.

It's not a "one rule fits all" scenario? It's a constant ethical dilemma that I'm sure every Vet faces. They have the authority to put an animal to sleep and are often requested to do it for absolutely no other reason bar the animal is simply not wanted anymore.Can you imagine the turmoil they have to put up with?

I don't think it's fair to compare it to humans either. The "option" is there to legally put an animal to sleep if we ask a vet to do it. That is fact. It is the biggest and fundamental difference that separates the issue. I would actually fully support it being legal to allow a person to make a decision to end their own life. But we're not anywhere near that yet. We cannot compare the two in any rational kind of debate.

Does anyone know if it's stated in a will that they want their pet wants to be euthanased after they die does it have to be legally carried out if nobody contests it?

Instructions to Put your pets down after you die

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